1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is truck racking systems and more particularly to an improved product and method for enhancing trucks with a racking system of increased versatility and structural novelty. This rack system invention provides a versatility and utility not shown or suggested by any known prior art. Indeed, the racking system of this invention fulfills a long felt need in a novel manner not provided by any known products in the marketplace today.
The invention allows contractors to use racks on pickups and compact, regular and large size trucks for safely carrying a wide assortment of extra long supplies and products. Painters carry long ladders and poles, plumbers carry long pipes and carpenters carry long boards, and the like. On job sites the trucks equipped with my invention can be used for a myriad of tasks such as loading and unloading supplies to/from decks and roofs and for scaffolding purposes along walls being constructed, painted or repaired.
2. Description of Prior Art
The uses of pickup trucks are widespread, and a growing trend for the proud owners of such vehicles is to make them very “dressy”. Thus, commercial demand says that such trucks must look customized as well as be practical for a myriad of uses. In order to increase the hauling versatility, such vehicles have long been equipped with standard racks that are supported above the bed of the truck by known racking posts.
Most pickup trucks have stake pockets located around the sides and corners of the truck body, or “bed”. These pockets surround the periphery of the loading bed of the truck. It is known to insert straight or inwardly angled steel posts into such pockets, which posts carry well known racking systems of the prior art. In conventional prior art designs the rack runners across the bed width and the runners lengthwise along the bed length are bolted or welded directly to the top ends of the four uprights. In either case, however, the prior art structure presents a loss of interchangeability, flexibility and degradation in the strength of the various rack members.
The prior art racks extend above the bed and generally co-exists above the footprint of the bed. There is little in the way of flexibility and no telescoping involved in such prior art. Should such a prior art rack extend beyond the bed outline, as per Track-Racks.com, it does so as a fixed in place cantilever without any telescoping features. Instead, it is simply bolted as a fixed cantilever rack marginally over the cab. At most this over-the-cab extension might go forward only three feet over the cab. In my telescoping invention I can extend up to about seven feet over the cab and hood. The new and novel racking system of this invention also employs risers that fit in the stake pockets just as in the prior art.
In the invention, however, I have developed angled risers which may be turned so as to sweep inwardly or outwardly depending upon the particular configuration of the novel adjusting, pivoting and telescoping of this racking invention. Please note that the outwardly slanting uprights allow a plank to be placed close to a wall or similar immovable structure for added user convenience and safety purposes. With the prior art straight uprights the truck mirrors and other side protrusions prevent the workers from getting very close to buildings with such prior art rack systems.
In summary, the prior art devices are characterized by a limited range of use and suffer severe limitations for long items. Moreover, the prior art racks do not telescope.
We have all seem what that brings into play. The length limitation of standard racks means that extra long items in the prior art are haphazardly tied down with ropes or twine. Such an approach—particularly with do-it-yourselfers—creates extreme safety hazards. Indeed, many times flexible long items are draped over the windshield area and are tied to the front bumper rearview mirrors or other vehicle parts not intended for such uses.
What has not yet been provided, prior to this invention, is a versatile, personalized racking system as first disclosed and claimed herein. The invention is characterized by the key features of a custom “select, erect and customize” your own personalized rack configuration for the needs and style that suits you, the user. Telescoping capability of this racking invention is a first in the truck cargo racking industry. Moreover, the materials used and the rack configurations are both stylish and functional beyond any racks known in the art.